Wildland fires spread during the notorious Santa Ana weather; the air pollution is among the worst in the world; and a large and growing number of people exert increasing demands on wildlands for a safe place to live, for water, for recreation, and for scenic beauty. Because of its location in southern California, at the heart of these natural resource problems, PSW at Riverside provides unique opportunities to study a variety of related topics that have local, national, and international importance. The laboratory is one of two Forest Service labs in the nation with a major research emphasis on fire research.

The three main buildings are located on a 9.6-acre site adjacent to the University of California at Riverside campus. They house chemical, soils, microbiology, electronics, and dendrochronology research; a workshop; greenhouses; and growth chambers. Scientists stationed here also oversee an experimental area, the San Dimas Experimental Forest, located north of Glendora, California. Other research is conducted on public and private lands in cooperation with other federal, state and local agencies.

The team of scientists working at the laboratory and field facilities includes research foresters, ecologists, botanists, hydrologists, microbiologists, engineers, meteorologists, economists, plan pathologists, chemists, soil and computer scientists, and social scientists. They are supported by many research professionals, technicians, and office support specialists.